Twin towers

[Bone Dog]

Why would a sophomore that missed the last third of her freshman season be more prepared than a junior that started her freshman year and was first off the bench the second year?

That’s definitely a fair question too. But it’s not just about experience, as I noted. It’s also about personality. It’s not like we haven’t seen a freshman displace juniors as the team leader before. I love KK as much as any of us. And it’s clear she’s had plenty of experience in this offense, but not much without Paige, or Nika or Kaitlyn next to her.

There’s no guarantee Morgan would succeed in the role, especially given how much less playing time she’s gotten compared to KK. But I watched video of a lot of Morgan’s high school games from her senior year — admittedly not the best evidence — and she seemed to have a leader’s personality, more than what I’ve seen from the other candidates.

But as I said above, Geno and CD will already know what Morgan is capable of and whether she’s a better option than KK or Azzi or even Kelis. I’m just speculating from a sofa.

 

[CTrefugee]

Did anyone else notice that Ice and Jana got a number of minutes together on the court late Q3 and early Q4? Looks like Geno’s tinkering with potential lineups for the postseason.

The two posts combined for 13 points (6-7, 1-1 threes), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 0 turnovers. Jana had 4 fouls, as freshmen post players are wont to do. Move your feet, big girl.

I think Geno superglued her sneakers.

 

[Zarathustra]

If no Azzi - then no captain/leader, no one with Paige type skills and maturity to run the offense and no one to be PG until maybe Kelis gets up to speed.

Every team/family needs a "MOM"!

 

[Zarathustra]

That’s definitely a fair question too. But it’s not just about experience, as I noted. It’s also about personality. It’s not like we haven’t seen a freshman displace juniors as the team leader before. I love KK as much as any of us. And it’s clear she’s had plenty of experience in this offense, but not much without Paige, or Nika or Kaitlyn next to her.

There’s no guarantee Morgan would succeed in the role, especially given how much less playing time she’s gotten compared to KK. But I watched video of a lot of Morgan’s high school games from her senior year — admittedly not the best evidence — and she seemed to have a leader’s personality, more than what I’ve seen from the other candidates.

But as I said above, Geno and CD will already know what Morgan is capable of and whether she’s a better option than KK or Azzi or even Kelis. I’m just speculating from a sofa.

Yes, there is the question of experience. KK has more than enough of that and
AZZI would have years of savvy as a graduate player. Also, everything about Kelis seems very positive even if she will be a first-year player. Perhaps a repeat of
the duet as with Kaitlyn and KK. My main point though is that there is a part of Morgan Cheli's resume that the other players cannot match. Morgan is 6' 2". Also, Morgan's H.S. at Archbishop Mitty was as their PG/floor "general" (with McKenna W.) Imagine the possibilities of Morgan's entry passes to SARAH, JANA, ICE, YANNA, Carol. Morgan would not have to be a tremendous scorer. But we already know she can drive to the rim and is a feisty rebounder! I'm looking to how GENO develops the chemistry of the 2024-2025 Huskies. But for now,
we have a BIG EAST TOURAMENT to WIN! GO HUSKIES!

 

[Zarathustra]

That’s definitely a fair question too. But it’s not just about experience, as I noted. It’s also about personality. It’s not like we haven’t seen a freshman displace juniors as the team leader before. I love KK as much as any of us. And it’s clear she’s had plenty of experience in this offense, but not much without Paige, or Nika or Kaitlyn next to her.

There’s no guarantee Morgan would succeed in the role, especially given how much less playing time she’s gotten compared to KK. But I watched video of a lot of Morgan’s high school games from her senior year — admittedly not the best evidence — and she seemed to have a leader’s personality, more than what I’ve seen from the other candidates.

But as I said above, Geno and CD will already know what Morgan is capable of and whether she’s a better option than KK or Azzi or even Kelis. I’m just speculating from a sofa.

I agree with BONE DOG about the potential for Morgan. Time and GENO will
answer our questions!

 

[Centerstream]

Yes, there is the question of experience. KK has more than enough of that and
AZZI would have years of savvy as a graduate player. Also, everything about Kelis seems very positive even if she will be a first-year player. Perhaps a repeat of
the duet as with Kaitlyn and KK. My main point though is that there is a part of Morgan Cheli's resume that the other players cannot match. Morgan is 6' 2". Also, Morgan's H.S. at Archbishop Mitty was as their PG/floor "general" (with McKenna W.) Imagine the possibilities of Morgan's entry passes to SARAH, JANA, ICE, YANNA, Carol. Morgan would not have to be a tremendous scorer. But we already know she can drive to the rim and is a feisty rebounder! I'm looking to how GENO develops the chemistry of the 2024-2025 Huskies. But for now,
we have a BIG EAST TOURAMENT to WIN! GO HUSKIES!

Do you realize that you are also describing freshman Caroline? When Caroline comes back next fall at 100% I believe that she will be the team leader.

 

[Bone Dog]

Do you realize that you are also describing freshman Caroline? When Caroline comes back next fall at 100% I believe that she will be the team leader.

It does, and it doesn't. Caroline doesn't have the foot speed Morgan does. And, yes, KK is even quicker than Morgan. But there is something special about 6'2" moving well on the floor even if she's not as quick as KK or Hidalgo or Fulwiley.

On the other side, I hope you're right that Caroline emerges as a leader even if she's not the PG. She's never been particularly vocal in the past, but she can lead by example. And if we can have Caroline Sarah and Ayanna on the floor together as next season's 'small' lineup, I think it will be a tough one for teams to matchup with.

 

[Kat]

The team now has options for specific match-ups. The "starting five" concept is no longer a guarantee of who gets the most PT. When push comes to shove, in crunch time, I think Geno will be going with the three that made it to the Final Four last year: Paige, KK, and Ash. Adding Sarah, of course, but the fifth slot in that situation is fluid.

 

[MSGRET]

It’s a valid concern. KK is a PG and a ferocious defender. But she may not be the floor general Nika was, not yet, and expecting her to fill Paige’s shoes is asking a lot. Even Azzi may not be capable of that — 2 years ago she was the heart of the team before the injury, but Nika bore much of the burden of team leadership.

Ash and Caroline and Allie and Sarah and even Jana were the leaders of their high school teams. But other than Jana, they were all low key leaders. They carried their teams but weren’t vocal and commanding. I’m not sure Kelis has the experience to lead a D1 team full of stars, but she may have the personality for it. Only time will tell.

One person who may have the personality and the experience is Morgan. She did exactly this on a nationally ranked high school team. And she was more than a floor general. She was also a coach on the floor. Very vocal and commanding.

If Morgan is capable of running the team, Geno and CD will already have recognized it. They know these kids a lot better than we do.

Jana didn't play high school basketball, at a very young age she was watching her dad coach the Egyptian National team, she saw how much her dad loved the game and wanted to play the game.
She played on the Egyptian Jr National and National teams.

At age 14 she was discovered by the NBA Academy Women's Program, one of the first African woman ever invited. By 2022 she was participating in the NBA Global Academy in Australia. At the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders event in Cairo, El Alfy was taken with the first pick of the BWB draft by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and earned MVP honors.

 

[Zarathustra]

Do you realize that you are also describing freshman Caroline? When Caroline comes back next fall at 100% I believe that she will be the team leader.

True. Thanks for that insight...Maybe I was too focused on the
possibilities at PG.... Also, during my post, #28 above, I referred to
Azzi as a future Husky team "MOM". Clearly Caroline is
another logical choice, maybe a better one, for that role.
I tend to get excited and don't think beyond my "in the moment"
thought trend... GO CAROLINE! and COME BACK, Azzi!

 

[Crossover]

Every team/family needs a "MOM"!

If she is here next year, she will be "mom". That was her role this year, despite being unable to play until recently. Mama C, a worthy successor to Momma E. That said, next year's team will still need someone who organizes and galvanizes the team on the court, settles it down when play is frenetic, and fires it up when play is lethargic. I don't think that Caroline (or Azzi if she returns) is that person. Moms are great, as are spark plugs and leaders by example, but ... .

 

[Crossover]

Oops, meant to say "Caroline will be mom"

 

[Bone Dog]

Jana didn't play high school basketball, at a very young age she was watching her dad coach the Egyptian National team, she saw how much her dad loved the game and wanted to play the game.
She played on the Egyptian Jr National and National teams.

At age 14 she was discovered by the NBA Academy Women's Program, one of the first African woman ever invited. By 2022 she was participating in the NBA Global Academy in Australia. At the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders event in Cairo, El Alfy was taken with the first pick of the BWB draft by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and earned MVP honors.

I don't mean to quibble, and I love your reminder of how unique Jana's path has been. But there are videos online of her playing basketball in high school with other high school students. I'm not sure what institution oversaw her particular team, but I think it is a high school. They were different from the various FIBA teams she participated on. These are not easy videos to interpret, since they're in Arabic, which I don't speak. It's possible these teams were the equivalent of AAU teams, and I didn't add that qualifier. They may also have played a role in how the Junior National team selected its players. I thought it was enough to identify them as high school games for simplicity.

 

[Pharos]

If no Azzi - then no captain/leader, no one with Paige type skills and maturity to run the offense and no one to be PG until maybe Kelis gets up to speed.

Sarah, KK, Ashlyn?

 

[Next 12]

Why would a sophomore that missed the last third of her freshman season be more prepared than a junior that started her freshman year and was first off the bench the second year?

I believe you were talking about Ashlynn.I always felt Ashlynn should have started every game this year so I'm biased. I believe Ashlynn could be the Captain of the team solely because of her non-stop play and defense . In the huddles she seems to be vocal to the other players and they seem to listen.Being on a Uconn team means doing what is necessary to win and Aslynn seems to be a quick study and might do well. I didn't think her 419 points as a freshman was out of the ordinary as she IS a shooter. .We still have the nucleus of a great team and GENO will figure it out. GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[packwrap]

I am glad everyone is so excited about Morgan.

I think we have a wonderful core group for next year of KK, Ash, Morgan and Allie, our positionless point guards. We can then mix in the stars of Sarah, Caroline and maybe Azzi. And add in bigs Jana, Ice and Ayana around that core group. Plus freshmen!

I'm surprised everyone underestimates KK. She already is a key leader of the team. She is at the center of video shennanigans, often speaks for the team, and has become quite confident on court.

She's a different type of point guard than we are used to. More in the mode of those old Arkansas and Arizona 'dribble drive' guards that gave us trouble, and Hidalgo and Miles, and Fulwiley now. She initiates offense by attacking on the dribble, and passes as defense commits help. Her decision making and outside shot can keep getting better. 35%from 3 attainable.

It's not hard to see her improving to 6 assists per game and 10-15 points as the regular starter. That with ++defense.

She has also apprenticed with Nika, Paige and Kaitlyn, so she is ready.

I see KK as our most improved player next year, and a big part of new leadership.

One other thought. Most of the current UConn team was the best ever player at their high school, and were all leaders of their teams. It's always tough to replace a Diana, Maya, Nika or Paige, but we have a whole group of great hs leaders to work with.


.

 

[HuskyNan]

I am glad everyone is so excited about Morgan.

I think we have a wonderful core group for next year of KK, Ash, Morgan and Allie, our positionless point guards. We can then mix in the stars of Sarah, Caroline and maybe Azzi. And add in bigs Jana, Ice and Ayana around that core group. Plus freshmen!

I'm surprised everyone underestimates KK. She already is a key leader of the team. She is at the center of video shennanigans, often speaks for the team, and has become quite confident on court.

She's a different type of point guard than we are used to. More in the mode of those old Arkansas and Arizona 'dribble drive' guards that gave us trouble, and Hidalgo and Miles, and Fulwiley now. She initiates offense by attacking on the dribble, and passes as defense commits help. Her decision making and outside shot can keep getting better. 35%from 3 attainable.

It's not hard to see her improving to 6 assists per game and 10-15 points as the regular starter. That with ++defense.

She has also apprenticed with Nika, Paige and Kaitlyn, so she is ready.

I see KK as our most improved player next year, and a big part of new leadership.

One other thought. Most of the current UConn team was the best ever player at their high school, and were the all leaders of their teams. It's always tough to replace a Diana, Maya, Nika or Paige, but we have a whole group of great hs leaders to work with.


.

Folks keep bemoaning the Huskies lack of a speedy ”little” guard but as soon as they have an experienced upperclass leader that fits the description, they want to replace her with an inexperienced, slower player.

KK isn’t that little, btw.

 

[huskeynut]

Next year will take care of itself.

Problem is none of us know the internal workings of the team and how the pieces will fit. But I enjoy posters expressing what they think the team, and especially Geno, shoiuld do.

Do I see Morgan at PG - not really. Forget her height. I did not see the ball handling skills needed at the point. I didn't see the speed needed. Yes, she played some good defense but she cannot keep up with a Hannah Hildago type pg. No idea what her shooting capabilty is. And she does not have pg experience at UConn.

KK has earned the pg spot going into next year. She was a started as a freshman and first guard off the bench this year.
What happens in the off season, who knows. But this will be interesting and fun to watch.

 

[Bone Dog]

Folks keep bemoaning the Huskies lack of a speedy ”little” guard

Folks may be doing this. But that wasn’t my point. I love KK. But it is a fair question whether she has the personality to lead. Just one indicator, she isn’t typically the one who shouts commands on the floor and in huddles. That was Nika last season and Paige this season. Also, it was interesting to see Jaidynn Mason on Marquette out-quick KK on several plays. But quick as Mason is, KK & co contained her handily.

Do I see Morgan at PG - not really. Forget her height. I did not see the ball handling skills needed at the point. I didn't see the speed needed. Yes, she played some good defense but she cannot keep up with a Hannah Hildago type pg. No idea what her shooting capabilty is. And she does not have pg experience at UConn.

This is a fair concern. She hasn’t played PG at UConn, and she isn’t quick enough to guard players like Hannah. I’d merely observe that these are two separate responsibilities, and both are different from the question of who leads the team.

I certainly have no direct evidence that Morgan can lead a top-10 team to an NC. I merely noted that she was the obvious floor leader of a nationally ranked high school team. More than that, she was like a coach on the floor. And against great teams with speedy point guards, like Kayleigh Heckel on LuHi, she was able to engineer major victories.

It’s also worth recalling Evina, who led the Huskies in many games over two seasons before Nika and Paige were prepared to do so. She was neither super speedy nor a ball handling wizard. But she was a heads-up floor general who made good passes and provided mature leadership when it was needed. When injuries deprived the team of one star after another, she stepped up and settled the younger players down. Right after Paige’s injury sophomore year, UConn lost to GT because the team had freaked out. Then in the next game against UCLA we almost lost but for Evina’s leadership. Nika had some great games that season, like against Tennessee and Marquette, but she wasn’t quite ready to lead on a regular basis. Azzi and Caroline also had some great games before Paige’s return, but they needed Evina to get the best out of them.

Can Morgan do what Evina did? Maybe not. Is KK ready to play that role? Maybe. The whole point of the speculation isn’t to argue that KK can’t do it. It’s to consider what options Geno has. This is a classic ‘slow week’ topic.